The Lead and How to Swing It

T.J.=, Tom Jones

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 18, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Interscope Records
• ASIN: B000001Y6L
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #197,333 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The Welshman refuses to age gracefully, and more power to him. His Art of Noise collaboration on Prince's "Kiss" showed the way in '88. Here Jones teams with Trevor Horn, Flood, Youth, Teddy Riley, and Jeff Lynne. He makes an unconvincing fly boy on the Riley tracks, but shines in a campier, upbeat context with "If I Only Knew," the monstrous club track "A Girl Like You" and a powerful duet with Tori Amos, "I Wanna Get Back With You." Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is why Tom Jones is so great., June 22, 2001

By A Customer

If you've heard Tom Jones sing and love the sound but can't take the Vegas schmaltz, this is the album to get. Tom can sing anything with anyone: he growls, he soars, he hits notes that a man his age (sorry, Tom) has no damn business hitting.

I read an interview with Tom years ago where he said that he thinks his continuing success comes from knowing when to "take the pee out of yourself" (which translates to "make fun of yourself" in American English). I think that that's how he can pull off asides like "T.J.'s in the house with phat beats from the streets." ("Something for your head") Don't be frightened -- he wisely stops short of actually rapping.

From soulful, melty ballads like "I wanna get back with you" to the self-esteem anthem "I don't think so" ("failure wants to play tapes in your head -- will you just lay there in your bed? No, I don't think so!") this album shows off the incredible range of a truly talented vocalist to whom stereotyping has not been quite fair. If you really need Tom's particular brand of charming smarm, there's "Show Me," and if you get halfway through "Lift me Up" without becoming the backup singer you always knew you could be, well, you have more restraint than I.

Check this out -- it ain't Delilah!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still kicking @ss!, February 15, 2003

By	Strychnine "Strychnine" (Okinawa, Japan) - See all my reviews

This man has a voice that drags you to the heights of Mount Everest and will then glide you down a slope into a sea of tranquility... This album is simply a superb collage of Tom Jones' great vocals and excellent beats and background music. Don't miss out on a GREAT album!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE "VOICE" DOES IT AGAIN, March 25, 2000

By	JEFF (Atlanta, GA.) - See all my reviews

Tom jones can sing anything and it's provin here on this fantastic CD. He touches on all types of music that he likes and sings like nobody else could. Nobody belts out a note like him. I fully recommend this CD for all ages with all different tastes in music. I have seen him several times in concert and he is more powerful live than on a recording. I give this CD 5 stars!